Plugged In: Video shows substitute teacher using belt on students

Share this:

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

BRANDYWINE, Md. (AP) — A substitute teacher in Maryland has been removed from the classroom after a video surfaced showing him using a belt on students.

WTTG-TV reports the incident happened last Friday at Gwynn Park Middle School in Prince George’s County.

Officials say in the video the teacher has what appears to be a belt in his hand and hit students on the floor.

The school system says the substitute teacher — whose name they did not provide — has been removed from the classroom and law enforcement is now involved.

It is unclear if the teacher will face charges.

“The kids in school are saying, well some of them in my class are saying it is right. That the discipline was right,” one student told WTTG.

Some parents supported the teacher’s actions.

“My children say that he was very personable,” Cherrail Curry said. “He seemed to be, he was a Vietnam veteran. He got drafted to evidentially he talked to them and shared with them. He was, as one of my sons put it, a very gentle giant.”

Another parent said the teacher did what was necessary to calm the situation.

“I didn’t see it as trying to hurt kids,” Anthony Pelt said. “Just fed up a little bit and his way of trying to say you guys need some discipline. Honestly, I didn’t see abuse or hurt the kids.”

Aaron Ajani disagrees. “I thought kids were extremely unruly. However, the substitute teacher went well above and beyond what he was supposed to do. There were other things he could have done.”